by steve » Tue Feb 10, 2026 10:50 pm
It's been a while, so I figured I'd give an update.
My go-to brand for batteries and chargers is almost exclusively Powerex now. Panasonic continues to product Eneloops out of Japan, but they've started making cells in China, primarily for the Asian market and Australia and New Zealand. That's why you'll occasionally see Made in China Eneloops. We've seen this movie before: as they build out more and more manufacturing capacity in China, and then the corporate suits decide that they need to boost their margins, guess what'll get cut first?
So I'd still recommend Eneloops, but be careful of grey market products. Or, just buy Eneloop Pros, which should still be exclusively Japan manufacturing. And do NOT get Panasonic chargers; they're not just made in China, but they don't work (I've had a number of them that came bundled free with the batteries, and they're all garbage).
The go-to for chargers continues to be Powerex. They still appear to be made in Taiwan. I think the model I mentioned in the previous post is no longer made, but here are the ones you want to consider:
Powered MH-C9000PRO Professional Charger-Analyzzer - Their flagship and most advanced product. Charges up to 4 AA or AAA NiMH or NiCAD batteries, with charge, break-in, discharge, and Refresh & Analyze features and an advanced display. If out of stock at Amazon,
try B&H.
Powerex MH-C940 Charger-Analyzer - Charges 8 AA or AAA NiMH batteries independently, and also has Powerex's excellent conditioning system. Powerex's most affordable option.
Powerex MH-C980 Turbo Charger-Analyzer - Same as the C940, but has a rapid charging option.
There's conflicting information on Amazon—some purchasers report that it's made in China, while others (including the primary seller Wollen & Mussen) say it's made in Taiwan.
The batteries are definitely still made in Taiwan.
Powerex Pros (which like Eneloop Pros have higher capacity) are made in Japan, while
regular PowerEx batteries are made in Taiwan.
It's been a while, so I figured I'd give an update.
My go-to brand for batteries and chargers is almost exclusively Powerex now. Panasonic continues to product Eneloops out of Japan, but they've started making cells in China, primarily for the Asian market and Australia and New Zealand. That's why you'll occasionally see Made in China Eneloops. We've seen this movie before: as they build out more and more manufacturing capacity in China, and then the corporate suits decide that they need to boost their margins, guess what'll get cut first?
So I'd still recommend Eneloops, but be careful of grey market products. Or, just buy Eneloop Pros, which should still be exclusively Japan manufacturing. And do NOT get Panasonic chargers; they're not just made in China, but they don't work (I've had a number of them that came bundled free with the batteries, and they're all garbage).
The go-to for chargers continues to be Powerex. They still appear to be made in Taiwan. I think the model I mentioned in the previous post is no longer made, but here are the ones you want to consider:
[url=https://amzn.to/4qtZzgM]Powered MH-C9000PRO Professional Charger-Analyzzer[/url] - Their flagship and most advanced product. Charges up to 4 AA or AAA NiMH or NiCAD batteries, with charge, break-in, discharge, and Refresh & Analyze features and an advanced display. If out of stock at Amazon, [url=https://go.skimresources.com?id=201994X1680666&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bhphotovideo.com%2Fc%2Fproduct%2F1572727-REG%2Fpowerex_mh_c9000pro_c9000pro_professional_charger_analyzer.html%3Fgad_source%3D1%26gad_campaignid%3D12189184049%26gbraid%3D0AAAAAD7yMh11-OvgLlHBZJmGVlaa943AT%26gclid%3DCj0KCQiAy6vMBhDCARIsAK8rOgmVt26SSNzdAY4aSB2o7a6l4kxvPz2Q6d1moy2Cfr6bSQDEt19aiEAaAg6GEALw_wcB]try B&H[/url].
[url=https://amzn.to/4kunwmv]Powerex MH-C940 Charger-Analyzer[/url] - Charges 8 AA or AAA NiMH batteries independently, and also has Powerex's excellent conditioning system. Powerex's most affordable option.
[url=https://amzn.to/4aoEGNX]Powerex MH-C980 Turbo Charger-Analyzer[/url] - Same as the C940, but has a rapid charging option.
There's conflicting information on Amazon—some purchasers report that it's made in China, while others (including the primary seller Wollen & Mussen) say it's made in Taiwan.
The batteries are definitely still made in Taiwan. [url=https://amzn.to/46G5uIg]Powerex Pros[/url] (which like Eneloop Pros have higher capacity) are made in Japan, while [url=https://amzn.to/3ZxcP9h]regular PowerEx batteries[/url] are made in Taiwan.